Convertible lap robe



L. T. NELSON Sept. 30, 1952 CONVERTIBLE LAP ROBE Filed Sept. 13, 1948INVENTOR. L aa Pence 7. A/e/aon BY Ittameys Patented Sept. 30, 1952UGNVERTIBLE L araolin I Laurence 1'1, ;.Nelson, -,Por-tland,l Greg iassignorl to Q Portland Woolen Mills, megtrprua m; Orle'grfaccrpo'rationo'fbregon g v -A'ppli'c'ati0n Septeniber 13, 1 948,iSerialINo.'48,991

The present invention "comprises 1 a .laprobe of particular utility inprotecting the legs and torso of a traveler in airplanes, ships, trains,automobiles or other conveyances. The invention maybe used as a throwor'shawl about the home and is "of extreme usefulness to ispectato'rs ofgames or other outdoor events. Afurthe'r. purpose'of the presentinventiontis 'to pr'o'tectconvalescents from dangerous exposure to theelements. The invention-is specifically designed to permit its use as a,complete'coverage'for the feet-legs and lower portions of the body-ofthe user when it is' impossible, impractical .or inconvenient to wrapthese portions ofthebody in abla'nket. a

A further object of the present invention is to provide an article"ormanufacture which may .be-

used .in the formof a pocket intoiw-hich'thetfeet and legs may be thrustor which may be used in an open and flattened condition as a blanket,throw or shawl.

A further object of'the'present invention is to provide a device of theforegoing type wherein a foot-receiving pocketis' provided at one end ofa blanket when foldedupon itself, such 'pocket being formed byinterlocking the separable eleinents of a slide fastener device,-and--in'which the slide fastener-device is so associated With-theblanket that it may be easily removed -to permit thorough cleaning of'thebl anketand subsequent ironing thereof or to replace defectivefastener members.

A further-object of one form f thepresent invention herein disclosed-isto provide a device of the 'fore'going character wherein the edge of"the blanket to which the separable fastenerv elements are attached isprovided "with rounded corners whereby the device may be opened and usedas a blanket without theformation of '-a"recess in which dust and lintmay collect.

Manyprior protecting devices orcomforts "of the laprobeftype havebeen-conceived. All of such devices have b'een'subject 'to the drawbackthat the device is capable of' utility forily as a boot-type laprobe andcannot-be 'opened up-for meets a blanket or throw. Furth'er'than 'that,if the pocket-forming means'were removed from suchdevices the remainingfabric Fportions would not'be of any useful shape or configuration,whereas in the present invention the separable fastener may lee-releasedor removed with the result that a perfectly-normal and normally vfunctioning blanket, spread, throwor shawl ,re-

mains. The device therefore has-great appeal and utility since a numberof functions may be" 1 Glaim. 01.125695) 7, :l i

performed. 5 It may Jeepenedyand used as .a

wallrhanging ,or covering, as a couch spread, .or

as a sleeping blanket,- andins'tantlyconverted .to a traveling comfort,or laprobe .or otherwise used. For example, one of the devices .rnayhelperi manently left in the tormeau of fan .automoble and may be usedby a plurality-ofloccupant's.as

an open laprobe or steamer rug would .be lused,

or instantly converted to a pocket-,type'laprobe "a great deal of "timeassisting the passengers,

flights, at great speeds.

for the use of an individualpasseng'er;

.A further object of the presenth'lventionlis to provide a laprobevofr.the.,'for,egoing character which may achieve the purpose of blanketsnormally supplied by airlines for .themco'n'ifort .of

passengers. In such surroundings va vblanket is desired intermittentlyfor shortperiodsof ,time as the airplane travels through higher strata,especially in the larger planes .capab1e'of..high Passengers quite oftendesire leg protectionanddemandia blanket to wrap about their legs orthrow :asidefrom time to time. The placing of such a blanket is veryawkwardfor the passenger to achieve whimself,- especially when strappedtorthe seatrbya safety 7 beltgwith the result that the stew'ardessspends and when otherdutiesrequire her-attention the passengers complainbecause she cannot attend to their personal comfort. -An;object of, thepresent invention is to provide a pocket-typevlaprobe in which the feetmay be placed without requiring the user to raise himself fromthe seat,.an d with which'it .is not necessary to place overlapping portions oftheidevice beneath h-imselfin: order p to retain it "in protectingposition. Wit'h the present invention. the usenmaysl-iphis feetinto thepocket portion and pullithe free:.portion-. of the-"device over his lapand even :enclosehiswentire torso and-arms undern'eathtthe blanket, his

back being protected'by'thecushionssofitherseat. 'Itisa simple matterfor theuser to -remove the "laprobe entirely or merely-to dropthe upperportion thereof around his feet if heso desires.

A further objectof the present invention is to,

provide a laprobeof the foregoing type which may achieve allof'therfunctions outlined: above and, yet may be smaller than aisimpleblanket v whichwould be wrapped about the body of' the fuseryivhenflusedas .a single personswarmth-providin'g" means. I lt'ance' to airlines dueto theeliminationofun This feature is of "greatimpcr- 'riecessary weightresulting 'from; the l reduction;in

"size'iof the blanket; 1 It "is (also O'f'. advantaeet other usersin'decreased initial cost andthe cost N w 3 of upkeep as represented byperiodical dry-cleanings or washings.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a device of theforegoing character in which the pocket is provided by separablefastener element tapes which are so joined to the blanket material as tobe readily removable therefrom without in any way disrupting the bindingnormally provided on a blanket or laprobe.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a device of theforegoing character in which the separable slide fastener elements areso positioned when the laprobe is in normal use as a pocket-type laprobe that the legs of the wearer are not likely to come in contact withthe slide fastener elements. portance in commerical applications due tothe propensity of such metallic elements to .tear stockings and otherfine fabrics, resulting in damage claims by paying passengers or otherusers.-

The foregoing and other objects and advantages-of the present inventionwill be more readily ascertained from inspection of the followingspecification taken in connection with the accompanying drawings whereinlike numerals refer to like parts throughout, while thefeatures ofnovelty will be more distinctly pointed out in the appended claim.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a view of one form of the present invention when closed inreadiness for use'as a pocket-typelaprobe;

Fi 2 is a view of the form of the invention shown in Fig. 1 when openedin readiness for use as ablanket, throw or shawl;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged, partial section taken substantially along line3--3 of Fig. l; and

Fig. dis a partial view of an end ofa modified form of the invention.

InFigs. 1, 2 and 3 the invention is illustrated as comprising asubstantially rectangular piece of blanket material such as woven,knitted or felted fabric, the material being folded upon itself along alongitudinal median line indicated at to provide two overlying portionsH and l2. The entire circumferential edge of the piece of material ispreferably bound by a suitable form of binding such as thewhip-stitching indicated at it; such binding being provided fordecorative effect as well as to prevent certain types of material fromunraveling or otherwise disintegrating.

A slide fastener device separably joins the adjacent surfaces of thepiece along an L-shaped line beginning at one end of the fold, extendingparallel to one end edge of the piece normal to the fold, then parallelto the fold for a minor portion of the length of the piece to provide apocket at one end of the folded piece. This is preferably accomplishedby stitching a pair of tapes of separable slide fastener elements alongthe adjacent surfaces of the edges of the part to be formed into apocket. In the present instance a tape It extends from the fold point,along the end edge of one portion andfaround a corner, then upwardlyalong the side edge parallel to the fold for a distance substantiallyequal to the width of the portion 82. The distance to which thejtapeextends upwardly may vary depending upon individual desires, but it Thisis of extreme imshould be such as to equal about the length of a normalpersons lower leg from the heels of his shoes to the knee, or slightlyless. In any event,

' the tape extends upwardly along the side edge'for terial only, so asto economize on both material and labor going into the manufacture ofthe article or of its repair. An opposed tape I! of flexible slidefastener elements extends from the fold in the opposite direction alongthe end edge and upwardly along the outer edge of theportion l I for acorresponding distance. A slide fastener element interlocking member 8is permanently engaged with the first few of the separable slidefastener'elements at the adjacent ends of the tapes and is adapted to beslid along the end and side edges to the upper ends of the tapes, whenthe blanket is folded upon itself along the line If, to form a pocket asshown in Fig. 1. The tape it is-prefe'rablyattached to the portion 42 bya single line of stitches 28 parallel to and inside of the binding 43,and the tape 17 is joined to V the section I l bya single line ofstitches l9 parallel to and inside of the binding on that portion of theblanket material. The single line of stitches is quickly applied and maybev as quickly removed to permit replacement of defective slide elementsor laundering of the blanket without having the slide fastener tapesattached thereto. Each of the tapes is preferably provided with a stop.element 2i to prevent the interlocking memher it from leaving. the upperends thereof when the elements are being interlocked. The greater part.of the portions H and 92 are unconnected to each other except along thefold line Hi.

' .In'using the present invention as a laprobe; the interlocking.member. [8 is drawn upward to the limiting members 2! to form a pocketat one end of the device. The upper edge of the blanket may be held withthe pocket depending therefrom and the portions of the tapes adjacentthevlimitin abutments 21 toward the person, who would be seated inachair or on a similar support. The feet may be lifted into the corner ofthe pocket adjacent the fold it and the free upper portion of. theblanket drawn over the lap. In this position it is not likely that anyportion of the slide fastener will come in contact with the stockings orclothing, of the user, or of persons sittin in adjacent chairs. By:reason of the: tapes being attached inside of the edge portions themetallic elements of theslide fasteners are embraced between therelatively heavy and relatively stiff binding of the blanket as afurther precaution against ruining the garments of others.

In Fig. 4 I have illustrated a portion of a modified form of the presentinvention wherein it is shown that both corners of the lower end of theblanket are rounded in order that the interlockingmember may hepermanently retained at apoint along the fold line 25 joining twooverlapped portions 26 and 27 at a point upwardly removedfrom the lowerend edges thereof. By reason of the notch so formed at the lower end ofthe fold 25 the interlocking member does not prevent the blanket frombeing-completely fiat- .tened out into a smooth plane. Although theconstruction shown in Figs. 1 and 2 does not mutilate a blanket to theextent that the notch necessary to round the inner corner as in Fig. 4mutilates the blanket, this construction may be more preferable to someusers due to the fact that the pocket remaining when the first form ofthe invention is flattened out is not present in the second form. Thispocket is relatively immaterial as to appearance and utility of thedevice as a blanket or throw, but does provide a corner in which dustand lint may collect. The form shown in Fig. 4 may be completely brushedor shaken clean between casual uses.

While I have herein illustrated the separable fastener device as beingattached in an L-shaped line with the toe of the L at the bottom of thefold and the leg of the L extending along the side edges, it is to beappreciated that various other modifications in spacing and alignmentmay be devised within the purview of my'invention. Any such modificationis within the aspects of the invention which, to the best of myknowledge, is the first such device consisting solely of a rectangularpiece of fabric and a separable slide fastener device. I claim as myinvention all such modifications in arrangement and detail as comewithin the purview of the appended claim.

I claim:

A laprobe consisting of a substantially rectangular blanket having twoopposed side edges and two opposed end edges, a first tape of separableslide fastener elements fastened to said blanket and extendingcontinuously along one of said end edges from the center thereof towardone of said side edges and then along said one side edge for a distanceequal to approximately one-third the length of said side edge, a secondtape of separable slide fastener elements fastened to said blanket andextending continuously along said one end edge from the center thereoftoward the other of said side edges and then along said other side edgefor a distance equal to approximately one-third the length of said otherside edge, and a slide fastener element interlocking member permanentlyengaging the first few of said separable slide fastener elements on bothof said tapes adjacent the center of said one end edge and adapted tointerlock the remainder of said separable slide fastener elementsthereby to form a pocket at one end of said blanket when folded uponitself along a central line normal to said end edge, intermediateportions of said tapes being directed along curved lines at the cornersby, when said separable elements are disengaged except for said firstfew permanently engaged by said slide member, the blanket may be spreadsmoothly in an entirely flattened condition.

LAURENCE T. NELSON.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the' file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 917,403 Benger Apr. 6, 19091,811,821 Bloom June 23, 1931 2,321,966 Anderson June 15, 1943 2,431,603Zito Nov. 25, 1947 2,442,105 Vacheron May 25, 1948

